Reprieve for Metro facilities

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Metro Railway will not be charged for setting up tracks and bridges for ongoing projects on land owned by state government agencies.

The assurance from the state government came at a meeting attended by chief secretary Sanjay Mitra, Metro general manager Radhey Shyam and senior state government officials at Writers’ Buildings on Thursday.

The irrigation department had asked Metro to build bridges over Bagjola and Udaypur canals as tracks were being laid along the canals for the Noapara-airport-Barasat Metro project. The CMDA had asked Metro to pay a fee for setting up tracks along the Bypass for the New Garia-airport project. “The CMC has sought money from the railway to dismantle a pumping station on the airport Metro route,” a Metro official.

“All the agencies and departments had sought charges verbally and were yet to submit any written demand. But this was creating confusion,” the official said. “The state has said that Metro won’t have to pay to the irrigation department, CMDA and CMC for setting up tracks and bridges.”

“The meeting was to ensure that no Metro project is held up. We have asked all agencies to cooperate,” a senior government official said.